This invention relates to the manufacture of methacrylic acid, and more particularly to improvements in the manufacture of methacrylic acid by oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutyric acid.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 48-78120 discloses a catalyst suitable for use in the manufacture of methacrylic acid by oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutyric acid. The catalyst mainly consists of a molybdophosphoric acid in which molybdenum may be partly replaced by vanadium and/or tungsten, and/or a reduced form of the molybdophosphoric acid.
Heteropolyacids, such as molybdophosphoric acid are crystals having a large quantity of water of crystallization at room temperature. At higher temperatures, however, water of crystallization is gradually released. A fine powder is obtained when the temperature is elevated to approximately the reaction temperature of the above-described oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutyric acid. It is then desirable to support the heteropolyacid on a suitable carrier when the heteropolyacid is used as a catalyst component in the reaction in vapor phase at elevated temperatures.
The above-described Japanese Patent Application also discloses that among suitable carriers are alumina, silica, diatomaceous earth, silicon carbide, and titania.
The use of a carrier, however, is often disadvantageous, depending upon the kind or properties of the carrier. In some cases, the catalytic activity or the selectivity to methacrylic acid is considerably reduced. In another case, the heteropolyacid constituting an active component of the catalyst tends to peel off or separate from the carrier leaving only a small amount of the heteropolyacid to be carried.
The activity per unit quantity of a catalyst increases as the content of heteropolyacid (fraction of supported heteropolyacid in the catalyst) increases. A catalyst with higher content of heteropolyacid, and hence with higher catalytic activity is then commercially more advantageous because the required amount of the catalyst can be reduced and a smaller reactor can be used.
The inventors have investigated the above problem and have found that a highly siliceous material having a considerable water absorbability is effective as a carrier for heteropolyacid.